Excavating-bucket.



No. 747,481. PATENTED DEO.22,1903.

- H. L. REYNOLDS. EXGAVATING BUCKET.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 17, 1903. N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No. 747,481. PATENTED DEC. 22, 1903.

H. L. REYNOLDS.

BXGAVATING BUCKET.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 17, 1903.

N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2..

Q o, q

WITNESSES; IN VENTOH UNITED STATES Patented December 22, 1903.

P TENT OFFICE.

HENRY L. REYNOLDS, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THELIDGERWOOD MANUFACTURING CORPORATION.

COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A

EXCAVATlNG-BUCKET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 747,481, dated December22, 1903.

Application filed June 17, 1903. Serial No. 161.894. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY L. REYNOLDS, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Jersey City, Hudson county, New Jersey, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Excavating- Buckets, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in excavating or dredging buckets.

The object of my invention will be disclosed in the followingspecification and its scope will be defined by the claims terminatingthe same.

In the drawings accompanying herewith I have shown my invention embodiedin a form now preferred by me.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my device, the closedposition being shown in full lines and the open position being indicateddiagrammatically by broken lines, which outline the buckets or scoopsand indicate the center lines of the various levers and links. Fig. 2 isa central sectional elevation at right angles to Fig. 1, showing onehalfthe device in elevation.

My device is of that type of excavatingbuckets having two opposed scoopsor buckets which are supported and operated by a system of levers andlinks, so as to widely separate the buckets and then bring them togetherwith a scraping action, so that in some materials it may loosen thematerial at the time of loading. With this latter object in view I haveso designed the parts as to place the buckets or scoops with theirbottom surfacesin a substantially vertical plane when the scoops are attheir extreme separation preliminary to loading and so that as theclosing operation is commenced the scoops will be rapidly tilted to afavorable digging or scraping angle and be then maintained approximatelyat this angle until completely closed. In order to secure this action,the scoops, by which term I mean the lower bucket-like members whichcontain the material, are pivot-ally carried byhangers or levers, whichin turn are pivoted at or near their upper ends, so as to swing towardand from each other. The scoops being pivoted to the hangers must becontrolled in their angular position by other auxiliary means, whichmeans consist of mechanisms which are in turn actuated and controlled bythe swinging of the hangers.

In the drawings, 1 represents the scoops; 2, the hangers, which areconnected therewith by means of the pivots 4t and which are connected attheir upper ends by means of a pivot 3,.said pivot preferably consistingof a bar or rod extending transversely of the bucket and serving'as apivot for the hangers upon both sides of the bucket. The pivot 3 is alsosecured to a central frame or base which maintains a constant positionrelative to the center line of the bucket. This base, as herein shown,consists of two plates 7, which are located one at each side of thebucket. Upon this base are mounted the scoop-controlling devices, whichconsist of the levers 10, pivoted upon said base by means of pivot 9 andthe links 11 and 12, which respectively connect one end of said leverswith the hangers and the other ends of said levers with the scoops. Asthe hangers swing outwardly or inwardly they rock the scoop-controllinglevers 10 upon their pivots, and thus affect the scoops in such a manneras to rapidly tilt the same during the extreme outer portions of theirswing and maintain them approximately in a constant angularpositionduring the inner and major portion of their swing.

The means by which the hangers -2 are swung to open the bucket consistsof toggle levers or links 13, which are pivoted to the hangers by meansof pivots 5 and 6, the same preferably consisting of rods which extendtransversely of the bucket and connect the hangers of opposite sides.The central pivot 14 of said toggle-links is upon the central line ofthe bucket. For the correct operation of such a bucket it is desirablethat this central line of the bucket be maintained in constant relationwith the base 7. Asa preferred means for securing this end I provide aguide which insures the correct travel of the pivot 14 of theopening-links relative to-thebase. This guide 8 is formed by slottingthe base and securing thereto of the guide-bars 8, which, as hereinshown, are of a Z-section and receive a block or bar 15, which iscarried by the pivot 14. Other means than that described might beemployed for accomplishing the same purpose.

The pivot 14 is preferably a shaft extending transversely of the bucketand connecting the opening-links of opposite sides. The opening-rope 23may then be connected with this shaft, so that when strain is put uponthis rope the weight of the bucket will be carried by said shaft, andsaid weight will tend to cause the toggle to open, and thus cause thebucket to open. In some cases a direct connection to the shaft 14 wouldnot provide sufficient opening power. To increase this power, pulleys 25may be placed upon the shaft 14 and the rope 23 divided into two parts24, which pass first about the pulleys 25 and then upward to aconnection with the main pivot-shaft 3.

The bucket-closing means herein shown comprise a Windlass device whichis mounted upon said shaft 14 and has closing-ropes 19, winding upondrums 16, placed one at each side of the bucket and in line with pulleys1S, journaled upon the hangers 2. When the drums 15 are turned in onedirection, they will wind up the ropes 19, and thus will cause thehangers and the scoops to approach each other. These drums 16 are turnedby means of a larger drum 17, which is centrally mounted upon the shaft14 and which receives the closing-rope 20. This closing-rope ispreferably passed over a pulley 21, which is mounted upon the transverseshaft or rod 5, thence over a pulley 22, which is mounted upon thetransverse shaft 27, which forms one of the pivots connecting the upperends of the links 11 with the hangers 2. This arrangement prevents thestrain of the closingrope from acting upon the opening-toggle to resistclosing the bucket. This rope is confined to a central position at theupper end of the bucket by means of collars 28 upon the main pivot 3.The opening rope 23 is also restrained by the same collars and by apulley 29, mounted upon the transverse rod 26, which forms the pivotalconnection for the upper ends of links 11.

In a bucket of this character, in which the scoop-controlling means arenot carried by the hangers or some member moving therewith, as upon abase, it is essential to a correct operation that the movement of thehangers should be symmetrical with relation to the pivots of saidscoop-controlling means. This is herein secured by connecting the pivot14 at the center of the opening-links with the base by slidingconnection, such as that which has been described.

It is evident that many of-the parts herein shown might be changedsomewhat in their proportion and location and might also be replaced byother and equivalent mechanisms without essentially changing thecharacter of the device. I do not, therefore, wish to be limited to theexact mechanism herein shown and described.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. An excavating-bucket comprising two opposed scoops, a central frameor base, hangers pivoted to said frame and to the scoops, means forswinging said hangers symmetrically with relation to the frame, andmeans actuated by the hangers to control the angular position of thescoops by the swinging of the hangers.

2. An excavating-bucket comprisinga central frame or base, hangerspivoted thereto, opposed scoops pivoted to the hangers, means forswinging said hangers symmetrically with relation to the base, and meansmounted on said base and connected with the hangers and scoops forcontrolling the angular position of the scoops.

3. An excavating-bucket comprisinga central frame or base, hangerspivoted thereto, opposed scoops pivoted to the hangers, means forswinging the hangers symmetrically with relation to the base, leverspivoted upon said base, and links connecting said levers respectivelywith the scoops and with the hangers.

4. An excavating-bucket comprising opposed scoops, swinging hangerspivoted to the scoops, pivoted scoop-controlling levers, means forswingingsaid hangers, and means for maintaining a constant relativeposition of the pivots of the hangers and of the scoopcontrollinglevers, and of said pivots with the central line of the bucket.

5. An excavating-bucket comprising a central frame or base, hangerspivoted thereto, opposed scoops pivoted to the hangers, scoopcontrollinglevers pivoted to the base, links connecting one end of said levers withthe hangers above the pivots of said levers, links connecting the otherends of said levers with the scoops, and means for swinging the hangers.

tral frame or base, hangers pivoted thereto, opposed scoops pivoted tothe hangers, scoopcontrolling levers pivoted to the base, linksconnecting one end of said levers with the hangers above the pivots ofsaid levers, links connecting the other ends of said levers with thescoops, and means for swinging the hangers symmetrically with relationto the center line of the base.

7. An excavating-bucket comprising opposed scoops, a central frame orbase, hangers pivoted to said base and to the scoops, and connectedlinks pivoted to the hangers and having guiding engagement with thebase.

8. An excavating-bucket comprising opposed scoops, a central frame orbase having a guide thereon, hangers pivoted to the base 6. Anexcavating-bucketcomprising a cen-' in line with said guide and alsopivoted to the scoops, links pivoted to the hangers and having guidingengagement with the said guide, and means operated by the hangers forcontrolling the angular position of the scoops.

9. An excavating-bucket comprising opposed scoops, a central frame orbase having a guide thereon corresponding in direction with the centerline of the bucket, hangers pivoted to said base and to the scoops,links connected with the hangers and'controlled by said guide, and meanscarried by said base and actuated from the hangers for controlling theangular position of the scoops.

10. An excavating-bucketcomprisingacentral frame or base having a guidecorresponding in direction with the center line of the bucket, hangerspivoted to the base symmetrically of said central line, opposed scoopscarried by the hangers, links pivoted to the hangers and to each otherto form an opening-toggle, the common pivot of said toggle beingconstrained by said guide to move in the central line of the bucket, andan opening-rope connected with the common pivot of the said toggle.

l1. Anexcavating-bucketcomprisingacentral frame or base having a guidecorresponding in direction with the center line of the bucket, hangerspivoted to the base symmetrically of said central line, opposed scoopscarried by the hangers, links pivoted to the hangers and to each otherto form an opening-toggle, the common pivot of said toggle beingconstrained by said, guide to move in the central line of the bucket,and an opening-rope reeved between the common pivot of said toggle andthe pivot of the hangers.

12. An excavating-bucketcomprisingacentral frame or base having a guidecorresponding in direction with the center line of the bucket, hangerspivoted to the base symmetrically of said central line, opposed scoopscarried by the hangers, links pivoted to the hangers and to each otherto form an opening-toggle, the common pivot of said toggle beingconstrained by said guide to move in the central line of the bucket, anda single opening-rope branching into two parts which are reeved betweenthe central pivot of the opening-toggle and the top of the hangers.

13. An excavating-bucket comprisingacentral frame or base havinga guidecorrespond ing in direction With the center line of the bucket, hangerspivoted to the base symmetrically of said center line, opposed scoopscarried by the hangers, links pivoted to the hangers and to each otherto form an opening-toggle, the common pivot of said toggle beingconstrained by said guide to move in the center line of the bucket,pulleys carried by the central pivot of said toggle'one at each side ofthe bucket, and a single central closing-rope branching and each branchpassing about one of said pulleys and upward and secured at the upperpart of the bucket.

14. An excavating-bucketcomprisingacentral frame or base, hangerspivoted thereto, opposed scoops carried by the hangers, means forconstraining said hangers to swing symmetrically with relation to thecenter line of said base, a shaft extending transversely of the bucket,a central drum on said shaft adaptedto receive a closing-rope, two drumsupon said shaft at opposite sides of the bucket, a pulley upon eachhanger in line with the side drums, and ropes having their ends securedto said side drums and passing over said pulleys.

15. An excavating-bucketcomprisingacentral frame or base, hangerspivoted thereto, opposed scoops pivoted to the hangers, means carried bysaid base and actuated by the hangers to control the angular position ofthe scoops, opening-toggles connecting said hangers, a transverse shaftforming the common pivot for said toggles, a drum upon said shaft ateach side of the bucket, a pulley upon each hanger in line with saiddrums, closing-ropes secured to said drums and passing around ,saidpulleys, and a rope and drum for turning said shaft.

16. An excavating-bucket comprising opposed scoops, swinging hangerspivoted to the scoops, scoop-controlling levers pivoted independently ofthe hangers, and means for swinging said hangers and scoop-controllinglevers in a fixed relation.

17. An excavating-bucket comprising opposed scoops, swinging hangerspivoted to the scoops, scoop-controlling levers pivoted independently ofthe hangers, and means connecting said hangers and scoop-controllinglevers to swing them together.

18. An excavating-bucket comprising opposed scoops, swinging hangerspivoted to the scoops, scoop-controlling levers, fixed pivots for saidlevers and means for swinging said hangers and scoop controlling leversin a definite relation.

19. An excavating-bucket comprising opposed scoops, swinging hangerspivoted thereto, scoop-controlling levers, fixed pivots for said leverslaterally removed from the center line of the bucket, means connectingone end of said levers with the scoops, and means for swinging saidhangers and levers in a definite relation.

20. An excavating-bucket comprising opposed scoops, swinging hangerspivoted to the scoops, scoop-controlling levers pivoted independently ofthe hangers, and means connecting said levers with a scoop and itshanger.

21. An excavating-bucket comprising opposed scoops, swinging hangerspivoted to the scoops, scoop-controlling levers pivoted independently ofthe hangers, and means connecting opposite ends of said leversrespectively with a scoop and with a hanger for said scoop.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature, this 15th dayof June, [0 1903, in the presence of two witnesses.

HENRY L. REYNOLDS.

Witnesses:

SPENCER MILLER, EMERSON R. NEWELL.

